SRINAGAR, India (AP) – In response to the deadly car explosion that occurred on Monday near the historic Red Fort in New Delhi, Indian security agencies have detained several suspects in the Kashmir region. The explosion resulted in the deaths of eight individuals and injured many others. Authorities declared that they were investigating the incident as a possible act of terrorism, which grants them broader powers for arrests and detentions.
The Red Fort, a significant tourist site built in the 17th century, serves as the venue where Indian prime ministers deliver their speeches on Independence Day each year. If confirmed as a targeted attack, this incident would mark the deadliest blast in India's capital since 2011.
Following the explosion, at least five individuals were detained during a series of raids conducted overnight in Pulwama district of Kashmir. Police have revealed that the car bomb incident followed closely after they dismantled a suspected militant cell operating from the Kashmir region to the outskirts of New Delhi. As part of this operation in Faridabad, a city in Haryana state near the capital, authorities arrested at least seven people, including two doctors, and seized weapons along with a substantial quantity of bomb-making materials.
Reports from Indian media suggest that the car's driver is being investigated in connection with the same militant cell. A Kashmiri doctor who teaches at a medical college in Faridabad is being looked at as a potential suspect who may have driven the car that exploded. It remains unclear whether he intentionally caused the blast to avoid capture or if it was an accidental detonation of explosives he was transporting. Delhi police spokesman Sanjay Tyagi mentioned that investigators are examining all possibilities, including the likelihood of a terror attack, an accidental explosion, or a mechanical failure of the vehicle.
According to accounts from local media, the investigation leading to the militant cell's discovery began with a routine probe into anti-India posters that appeared in Srinagar on October 19. These posters threatened attacks against Indian troops stationed in the region. Following investigative efforts and the analysis of CCTV footage, authorities arrested multiple suspects in the ensuing weeks, which included two Kashmiri doctors and additional individuals linked to the group.
Amidst this turmoil, tension between India and Pakistan may escalate due to the implications of the bombing. India has historically accused Pakistan of sponsoring such attacks within its borders, claiming they are carried out by militant groups based across the border. This latest incident draws parallels to an earlier attack in April, when suspected militants killed 26 people, predominantly Hindu tourists, in Indian-controlled Kashmir, an event that led to a series of military confrontations between the two nuclear-armed nations.
Both India and Pakistan control parts of Kashmir, but both nations lay claim to the entire territory. Since 1989, militants in the Indian-administered area have fought against New Delhi’s governance, with India asserting that this insurgency is fueled by terrorism supported by Pakistan. Conversely, many Kashmiris view their struggle as a legitimate fight for freedom, and Pakistan denies any involvement in supporting militant activities in the region.
